Paper-feeding mechanism.



A No. 65I,567. Patented lune l2, |900.

N. E. FUNK. n

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISH.

(Applcgtion led Feb. 16, 189B.)

5 Sheets--Shgaetv l.

(No Model.)

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m: NORRIS PETERS co.. Puoouwo.. wAsmNc'roN. u. c.

No. 65|,567. Patented lune I2, |900.

N. E. FUNK.

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM.

(Application med Feb. 1s, 189s.)

5 Sheetvs-Shee! 2.

(No Model.)

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(No ModeLl) man@ noms #nena bc.. momwno.. wumucron. D. c.

Patentedlune l2, |900. N. E. FUNK.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

l-IIIIIIIIIIIIH [o viding meansfor expe I sheet after it leaves t zo scribed will be received be truly and accur 3o ing sheet during the r a view of 4o looking toward I tial vertical 5o tions UNITED STAT-ns i NELSON E. FUNK, OF NEW YORIQN. Y.,

OF ONE-HALF TO RUDOLPH F.

yFlAPER-FEEDING1 M ECHANISM.

PATENTS' ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, EMMERICH, OF SAME PLACE.

ated June 12, 1900.

(No model.)

To 'Cr/ZZ whorlt if; ma

Be it known that I, NELsoN E. FUNK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New 5 York, have invented a new andvuseful Improvement in Paper-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following' is a specification.

V My invention relates to an improvementJ in paper-feeding mechanism with a view of proditiously and accurately feeding sheets of paper one at a time from a pile to a folding-machine or other device for furthermanipulatingit. Thefoldingorother device or machine which is to operate on the he feeding mechanism forms no part of my present invention and is not illustrated in connection therewith, it being assumed that the sheets when passing on from the mechanism herein shown and deby mechanism of any d form for further opy concern;

well-known or approve eration. It is of importance that the sheets when, for example, they contain a number of printed pages on one or both faces should ately fed to a folder to int the proper intervals between the pages. lt is also of material importance that the sheets be fed rapidly--and without auyliability of disturbing a succeedemoval of the top sheet from a stack or pile, and it is to means for accomplishing these important results that my present invention is directed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is the feeding mechanism in side ele- Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear end view, the lower portion of the supporting-frame being omitted. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section in the plane of line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and the right as Fig. 2 is held in 4 is a partial vertical longitulane of line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and looking toward the right. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a parsection on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. larged view in detail, in rear f a pair of truing or alinview of the same in he parts in the posihen thrown rear- Fig.

sure the folding a vation.-

reading. Fig. dinal section in the p Fig. 7i is an en elevation, of one o ing'devices.'Y Fig. S is a si'dc elevation, showing t which they assume w y outof engagement with a sheet.

wardl -of sheets in thev proper of the pile by 9 is a similar View the parts when thrown true or aline the sheet. Fig, 10 is a similar view showing the position of the parts after the sheet has been trued or alinedfand pulled rearward to the point where the truing or alining devices are about to release it. Fig. ll is an enlarged View in detail, in side elevation, ofthe presser-foot and sheet-lifting 6o carriage and the parts immediately connected therewith'. Fig. ll is a face View of the cam for operating the vertically-reciprocating laterally-rocking presser-toot bar, and Fig. 12 is aview in detail of the yielding connection between the feedhandsupporting arm and its operating-arm. Y

The supporting-frame for mounting the several operating parts and for sustaining the pile or stack of sheets of paper to be fed is 7o here shown as consisting of a pair of skeleton side frames denoted by A A', connected by suitable cross-beams, rods, orties to hold them in the proper spaced position. The table on which the pile or stack of paper is supported is denoted by B and is movable up and down to keep the top of the pile at alltimes in the longitudinal plane to direct the top sheet when slid along the top of the pile onto a stationary table B' to the rear of the table B, 8o where the sheet is trued or alined before it is finally removed from the pile.

The mechanism for raising the table B at such intervals as to keep the top of the pile horizontal plane is controlled by the height of the pile, so that it will only actV to raise the table when the top the removal of the sheets theredetermined point, as low tefcient work. "The 9o showing the positions of forwardly to grip and from reaches a pre as is desired for the mos structure and arrangement of the table-oper ating mechanism are as follows: A vertical shaft C is mounted in suitable bearings in one of the side frames-in the present instance Y in the side frame A-and is provided at its lower end with a worm c, which engages a Worm-wheel o', mounted near the base of the frame and arranged to be clutched to and released from a sprocket drive wheel c2 by means of a clutch-operating lever c3. The roo shaft c4, which is arranged to operate with the sprocket-wheel c2, extends across the supvided with a nose or abutment cl2 portingframe to the opposite side frame A', where it is provided with a sprocket-wheel corresponding to the wheel c2, and the arrangement of lifting-chains on that side is quite similar to that shown on the side A, viz: A lifting-chain c5 is attached to one corner of the table B and extends thence up and over a sprocket-wheel c6 on the frame A, thence diagonally downward to and under the wheel c2, and thence up to the adjacent corner of the table B, to which it is attached. A second chain c7 extends from the front corner of the table B downward to and under a wheel o8, mounted on the frame A, thence diagonally upward to and over a sprocketwheel e9 at the upper portion of the frame, and thence down to the adjacent rear corner of the table B, to which it is attached. Hence the rotary movement of the sprocketwheel c2 and its shaft when clutched to the worin-wheel c', driven by the worm c on the shaft C, will simultaneously lift on the four corners of the table B and elevate it. The shaft C has near its upper end a ratchetwheel cw, fixed to rotate therewith. Above the ratchet-wheel there is a sleeve or collar en, loosely mounted on the shaft C and proand with an arm cl3, connected by a rod 014 with an eccentric C15 on a rotary shaft D', geared by wheels d and d' with the drive-shaft D, provided with the usual drive and loose pulleys cl2 d3, driven from a suitable source of power. (Not shown.) Below the ratchet-wheel c10 a sleeve c16 is loosely mounted on the shaft C and carries a spring-actuated pawl c17 in position to engage the ratchet-teeth on the wheel 010, a pin c1s in position to engage the face of the nose or abutment cw, and apin cl" in position to engage the hook on an arm C20. `The sleeve omis at all times under spring tension, tending to rotate it in a direction to carry the pawl C17 back on the face of the ratchet-wheel to engage a preceding tooth whenever the pins cls and c1 are both released. The spring tension is applied by means of a chain or stop C21, secured to and extending around or part way around the sleeve c1 and having its opposite end attached to a spiral springc?, connected tothe frame. The hook-arm c20 is attached toa short rock-shaft ci, mounted in the side frame A and carrying on its innerend an operating-arm c2'l under the control of a tappet c25, which when its throw is sufcient-ly increased by the lowering of the pile of sheets a depresses the operating-arm C24 and rocks the shaft c2 sufficiently to release the hook-arm 020 from the pin 019, thereby permittingr the pawl-carrying sleeve c1" to rotate under its spring tension to engage the pawl with a preceding tooth. 'This action of the hook-arm is so timed that it will release the pawlcarrying sleeve at the same time the nose or abutment cl2 is rocked away from the pin cls, and hence the return movement of the nose cI2 andthe ratchet-wheel ci@ will push the pawl one step forward,

sprocketp thereby rotating the shaft C and raising the' table B one step. The rocking movement of the collar or sleeve c goes on continuously under the rotary movement of the shaft D', ready at every step to do effective work, but has no effect upon the shaft C to lift the table B, excepting when the pawl-carrying sleeve c1G is permitted to rotate,and this takes place only when the hook-arm 02 is lifted enough to release the sleeve. The tappet c25 is operated by the drop of thearm E, which carries the feed-hand e for sliding the top sheet along the pile to the truing or alining mechanism, and this sliding movement of the sheet takes place in point of carriage has separated the front edge of the sheet from the pile. It. will, however, be explained at this point in order to complete the explanation of the table-raising mechanism.

A rock-shaft F is mounted in suitable bearings at the top of the frame and from it depend hanger-arms ff', in which arms is loosely mounted the shaft F', on which the feed-hand-carrying arms E are mounted, one at each side of the machine. The armsE are under spring tension by springs e', tending to depress thenrwhenever they are permitted to drop, and they are held raised against the tension of the 'springs e and permitted to drop by the action of short levers e2, fixed to rock with the shaft F and having their free ends loosely engaged with the under sides of the arms E and one of them being extended in the opposite direction from the shaft F', as shown at e3, and connected by a link e4 with the arm e5 of an angle-lever loosely mounted in the shaft F and having its other arm e connected by an operating-rod e7, provided with a yoke es, with the shaft D'. The yoke es has a pin e projecting laterally therefrom into position to engage the periphery of a cam am, fixed to rotate with the shaft D', which by its action on the yoke es rocks the anglelever to operate, through the link e, the levers e2 to release and lift the arms E. One of the hangcrs--in thc present instance f'*has connected therewith an operating-rodf2, having a yoke f3, carrying a pin f4 in position to engage a cam f5 on the shaft D' to draw the hangers ff' rearwardly, and hence the arms E,'carrying the .feed-hands. The return or forward movement of the hangers and feedhands is effected by a springf, which when the arm f' is drawn rearwardly is compressed by a plnngerf, connected with the hanger and sliding freelyin a bearingfson the frame. The arm E is connected with the feed-hand e by a universal joint c of any well-known or approved form and is also connected bya link cl2 with an operating-arm e, fixed to rock with a shaft F2, which carries the tappet c25 for releasing the hook-arm 020 to permit the raising of the table B. The parts are so timed that at the proper moment the arms E are permitted to drop, pressing the hands e yieldingly onto the top sheet and then are drawn rearwardly by the swinging of the hangers time after the sheet-lifting ICO IIO

ff to slide the sheet to the truing mechanism. NVhen by the successive removal of the sheets the arms E are allowed to drop a predetermined distance, they will rock the shaft F2 sufficiently to release thev hook-arm 020 from the stop-pin 019 and the lifting of the table will follow, as hereinabove described, and will automatically cease as soon as it reaches the desired level by the prompt engagement of the hook-arm e20 with the pin cw.

Before the feed-hands engage the top sheet to slide it to the truing mechanism it is separated at the front edge from the remaining sheets of the pile, and the remainingsheets of the pile are held firmly in position While the top sheet is being slid along. The lifting and holding mechanisms for these purposes are constructed and arranged as follows: The lifting-,carriage consists of a middle roller G, suitably mounted in a frame g and provided with one or more openings g' in its face,lead ing to an air-exhaust chamber within the roller, which chamber is connected by a iexible pipe g2 with an air-exhaust apparatus of any well-known or approved form and not shown herein. A gear-wheel g3 is mounted to rotate with the roller G, and a toothed sector g4 is pivoted to the frame g in position to engage the gear-wheel g5. On opposite sides of the roll G are supporting rollers or wheels G' G2, which are mounted to rotate independently of the roller G by their frictional contact with the sheet of paper. The rollers G G2 are intended to rest on the top of the pile at or near 4the front edge, and a bar g5 extends rearwardly from the frame and is connected by a joint of any well-known form with the arm h of a vibrating` lever pivoted at H, with its opposite arm h' in position to engage the face of an operating-cam h2, secured to a rotaryshaft l, extending longitudinally of the 1n achine. The sector g4 has its operating-arm g connected by a rod Q7 byia universal joint with an arm gs, depending bar K, extending lengthwise of the machine. As the lever-arm h h2 the carriage will 4be moved toward and away from the front edge of the pileand the roller G will be positively rotated by the sector g4, the arm g of which is held by the rod Q7 against longitudinal movement, While the pivotal support of the sector is moved with the carriage. The universal joints at the connections of the carriage-frame and sector with the depending arms permit the carriage to tilt and accommodate itself to any unevenness of the pile. A similar carriage is operated by a companion shaftl simultaneously with the carriage hereinabove described, the two carriages being spread apart, so as to lift as nearly evenly as may be upon the o'pposite sides of the center of the edgeof the sheet. The parts are so timed that the suction will take place where the carriages are at the front extremity of their stroke, and as they are rolled rearwardly the edge of the top sheet will be lifted and rolledpartly around the from a supportingi is reciprocated by the camy rollers G, the suction being cutoff as soon as the presser-foot, to be hereinafter described, has engaged the* pile beneath the top sheet.

The shafts ,l I are each grouped with a pair of stay and supporting bars K K', having their 'forward ends fixed in a headpiece d' independent of the main frame, their rear ends having a sliding engagement with a yokepiece L, the branches Z l' of which receive and rest on the shaft D and their middle portions having a sliding engagement in a hanger M, provided with a screw-threaded stem on, extending through a socket in the arm m', fixed on a transverse supporting-bar m2, the said screw threaded stems being provided with hand-wheel nuts m3 for adjusting the hangers to hold the headpiece and parts carried thereby at the desired height. The shafts I I' are each provided with a worm gear-wheel z', which intermeshes with a corresponding worm gear-Wheel t, secured to rotate -with the shaft D' init rmediate of the` branches l Z of the yoke-piecelt" By the above str ture and arrangement of parts the headpiece a and its similar companion headpiece, together with the shafts I I' and the stay and supporting bars grouped with each shaft, may be slid removably at pleasure to accommodate sheets of paper of varying sizes and may be tilted on the shaft to adjust the headpieces and parts carried thereby to the height of the pile at the front edge, even though it differ from the height of the rear edge, as often happens.

At their front ends the shafts l l each carry a cam N for operating the vertically-reciprocating and laterally-rocking presser-foot bars O. The bars O are mounted in socket-pieces a2 as on the headpiece ci' and are provided at their lower ends with presser-feet 0. A collar o', fixed on the bar O, carries a pin provided with a roller 62 in engagement with the periphery of the cam N, aud the socket-piece a2 is provided with an elongated slot a4, having the necessary wind to rock the bar O and turn the foot 0 sidewise toward the edge. of the pile while a sheet is being lifted. A pin 03, set in the bar O, projects into the slot at to cause the bar to follow the wind of the slot as the bar is raised and lowered by the cam4 N. A spring 04, connected at one end with a collar o5, fixed on the bar O, and at its opposite end with the socket-piece a2, serves to hold the bar O at all times depressed as far. as the cam N will permit.

' ln operation the action of the. presser-foot is so timed that it will be lifted andturned to one side during the lifting of the edge of the top sheet by the lifting-carriage and will then be turned into position over the pile during its downward movement into engagement 'ith the pile, thereby holding all but the topl sheet in position during the rearward movement of the top sheet. To further insure a perfect separation of the top sheet alone from those beneath it, an

IIO

air-blast is directed against the front edges of the uppermost` sheets through a pipe P, provided with a nozzle p and coupled to a supply-pipe p', leading to an air-forcing apparatus of any wellknown or approved form. (Not shown.) The air-blast is directed against the edges at the moment the suction takes place on the lifting-carriage, so that the tendency of the top sheet to lift the one or more below it may be avoided, and to further insure the separation of those below from the top sheet in the event of two or more edges being curled up by the blast from the nozzlep I provide a second blast directed downwardly from a branch pipe p2 onto the turned-up edge or edges of the paper after the suction has taken place, so that a sheet not positively held to the carriage by the suction will be blown away from it down onto the pile. The top sheet having been separated from those below by the lifting-carriage and slid rearwardly by the feed-hands a distance sufficient to place its rear edge on the table B', as shown in Fig. 9, within the field of action of the truin g oralining mechanism is operated upon as follows: A bracket Q is fixed to a cross-rod a5 ot' the main frame and rests, by means of a socket q, on the shaft D. An upwardly extending portion q of the said bracket supports the table B at the desired height relatively to the pile ot' sheets a. A depending portion of the bracket supports a vibrating angle-lever pivoted at R, one arm r of which is provided with a lower clampingjaw r', the face of which is arranged to and from the plane of the face of the table B from and to a position below said plane. Another arm r2 of the vibrating lever carries a roller r3, held in engagement with a cam r4 on the shaft D by a spring T5. (See Fig. 7.) A vibrating arm R is pivoted concentric with the said angle-lever which carries the lower jaw, said arm R being hweld in engagement with a cam r6 on the shaft D by a spring 017. The arm R' has at its free end a toothed sector rg, which engages a correspondingsector r9 on the upper clamping-jaw lrw, pivoted to the arm r of the angle-lever. The free end of the jaw rw has an extended lower lip r11 and a shorter upper lip rf", between which the rear edge of the paper is received as the upper jaw approaches the lower jaw to clamp the paper.

The truing mechanism `above described is one of a set of two similar mechanisms-located upon opposite sides of the middle line of the path along which the sheets are fed, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the clamping-jaws reaching the papel' on the tables B through slots in the tables. These truing mechanisms operate as follows: From the position shown in Fig. 8, assuming the paper to be in the position shown in Fig. 9 or slightly farther to the rear, the arm r is swung forwardly by the conjoint action of the spring T5 and cam r4, the engagement ofthe upper jaw with the toothed sector on the arm r while the truly alined and each will push back the edge of the sheet on its side to a point which will perfectly aline it. J ust at this point, when the truing of the sheet is completed, the upper jaw by a slight depression T13 in the periphery of the cam r4 is brought toward the lower jaw r' far enough to clamp the edge of the sheet of paper between them, and they are then forced rearwardly by the cam r4, the cam r6 permitting the upper jaw to remain in its clamped adjustment until the arm r reaches the limit of its rearward stroke,there by drawing the sheet of paper toward therear, smoothing out any wrinkles which may have been caused by the truing of its edge,and leaving it perfectly alined ready for the feed-rolls to advance it for further manipulation. As soon as the arm r reaches the limit of its rearward stroke, as shown in Fig. l0, the cam r6 begins to force the arm R forwardly, which, by its engagement with the jaw rw, rocks the latter rearwardly into the position shown` in Fig. 8 below the table B'and releases it from the sheet. This leaves the way clear for the further rearward passage of the sheet under the impulse of the fast-running feed-rolls S S', which are so arranged that they will engage the sheet promptly after its release from the gripping-jaws of the truing mechanism. The swift-running feed-rolls are arranged in the present instance in sets of three, those in the lower set being denoted by S and those in the upper set by S. They are viixed on shafts T and T', the former mounted in bracketarms t t', secured to the cross-rod a4, and the latter in arms t2 t3, fixed on a rocking shaft t4, mounted in extensions t5 t of the brackets t t. The arm t3 has a downward extension t7, the free end of which is engaged 'by a cam t8 on the shaft D for rocking the shaft t4, and thereby lowering and raising the shaft T', carrying the set of rollers S toward and away from the set of rollers, to engage and release the paper. The shafts T and T are geared together by gears s S', and one of them is provided with a belt-pulley s2 for receiving a drive-belt (not shown) leading to a source of power. (Not shown.) The rollers may then be driven continuously at any speed desired and are brought into engagement with the sheet of paper by the action ofA the cam t8 on the shaft D, Awhich is so timed that it will lower the rolls S into engagement with the sheet as soon as the truing-grippers have released it. The sheets are thus successively separated, drawn rearwardly to the truing IIO mechanism, alined, and finally rushed rearwardly by the feed-rolls until the pile is exhausted, when the table I3 may be lowered by throwing the drive sprocket-wheel c2 out of engagement with the gear-wheel c by the lever c3, a new pile placed thereon, and the operation repeated.

Itis evident that changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth; but

What I claim isl. A movable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, means for operating the support to raise the pile, a device for sliding the top sheet along the pile, means for imparting to said device movements toward and away from the pile and back and forth along the pile and mechanism connected with the said sheetsliding device and controlled by the movements of said device toward and away from the pile to start and stop the pile -raising means, substantially as set forth.

2. A movable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, a rotary shaft connected with the support for raising it, a ratchet-wheel secured to the shaft, a pawl, a spring-actuated rocking support for the pawl, a rocking collar or sleeve for advancing the pawl to rotate the shaft, a drive-shaft, a connection between the drive-shaft and rocking collar or sleeve, a hook-arm for holding and releasing the pawlsupport, a sheet-feeding device, and means Vunder the control of the sheet-feeding device for operating the said hook-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with asuitable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, a feeding device and means for operatingit, of a sheet-lifting mechanism, a presser-foot, means for operating them, a support for the said presserfoot and sheet-lifting mechanism, and means for adjusting said support toward and away from the pile, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a suitable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, a feeding device and a presser-foot, of a shaft for operating the presser -foot and means for adjusting the shaft and presser-foot bodily toward and away from the pile of sheets, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a suitable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, a feeding device and an air-blast pipe arranged to lift the edge of the top sheet of the pile, of a movable support for said air-blast pipe and means for adjusting said movable support toward and away from the pile of sheets, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a suitable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, a feeding device and means for lifting the edge or edges of the upper sheet or sheets, of an air-blast arranged to assist the lifting of said edge or edges of the sheets and another air-blast arranged to v0n an aXle, a roller provided with separate the upturned edges of sheets, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a suitable support for a pile of sheets to be fed, and a feeding device, of the top sheet, the said carriage carrying one or more supporting-wheels free to rotate a suctionchamber and having an opening from the chamber through to its periphery, a vibrating sector geared with the said suction-roller, means for reciprocating the carriage and means for positively operating the sector and hence the suction-roller during the reciprocating movements of the carriage, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with sheet supporting and feeding mechanism, a transversely-extending drive-shaft and means for operating it, of a lifting-carriage, a presser-foot, a longitudinally-extending shaft for operating the carriage and presser-foot, a supporting-bar, a yoke connecting the shaft and longitudinal bar with each other and forming ahinge connection with the transverse drive-shaft, and means for raising and lowering the said longitudinal shaft and bar while hinged to said shaft, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination, means for supporting a pile of sheets to be fed, a feeding device, a lifting-carriage, a presser-foot, a support for the presser-foot, a shaft for operating the presser-foot and carriage and means for adjusting the said presser-foot and carriage bodily rearward and forward and toward and away from the sheets to be fed, substantially as set forth.

10. The sheet-truing mechanism comprising a table on which the sheet may rest, a lower gripping-jaw pivoted below the table to swing back and forth along the surface of the table, an upper gripping-jaw pivoted to the arm which carries the lower jaw, a viof a carriage arranged to lift the edge f IOD brating arm engaged with the pivoted upper v jaw, and means for actuating the said arms to operate the jaws simultaneously and independently during each stroke of the lower jaw, substantially as set forth.

1l. In combination a table for supporting a pile of sheets to be fed, a lifting-carriage for separating the edge ofthe top sheet from those below, a feed device for sliding the top sheet along the pile, a truing mechanism for receiving and truing the sheet before the sheet is finally removed from the pile, and feed mechanism arranged to grasp and force the sheet away from the pile when released from the truin g mechanism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of Feb- 

